


Bravely Into The Dark

by LelianasSong



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Background Relationships, F/F, Science Fiction & Fantasy, magic in space
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-03-26 13:41:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19006927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LelianasSong/pseuds/LelianasSong
Summary: When The Windrunner's Glory sends out a distress signal from the edges of the Maelstrom, something had to be wrong. No one ventured that close to the destruction and no one had seen the ship, General Sylvanas or her crew for an entire decade.Jaina Proudmoore is the only one who volunteers to investigate the mysterious signal and finds more than she bargained for. A Ranger-General Sylvanas, twisted and changed, with a warning on her lips that makes Jaina's blood run cold.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey friends! Welcome to the start of a wonderful journey that I hope is going to be a super enjoyable one for everyone involved! I am but a simple gay who loves magic and space and the best worlds are ones that contain both, so here we are! My own little Sci Fi and Fantasy AU for your enjoyment!

**** Azeroth was in danger and it seemed like it had all fallen upon her shoulders. Sylvanas Windrunner, Ranger-General of Quel’Thalas had been given the duty to chase down the man behind it all; Arthas Menethil. Should it not have been the humans over in the Alliance Sector who should have been sent to deal with their corrupted Prince? Did the humans truly not care about this man, so long as he only threatened one planet for now? He was after the Sunwell, that much had been made clear and as soon as it had, The Council had decided to put it in their hands.

Standing at the bridge of the flagship of the fleet, Sylvanas looked around the darkness of space, her keen eyes watching for any flash of movement. Her Rangers were all watching as well, many in their own smaller fighter ships, all cloaked and moving silently, hunting down their prey.

“General? Come in,” A pompous and demanding voice rang out over the comms, a less than welcome sound to Sylvanas’ ears.

“Yes, Kael’thas? What is it?” Sylvanas responded to her Prince with a sneer.

A loud, audible sigh echoed over the comms before the Prince continued. “Do you have eyes on the monster?”

“Not yet. We have reports of him skulking around this area of the system, but there’s nothing here. Not even a single rock,” Sylvanas huffed, narrowing her eyes at what seemed to be a glint in the distance.

“Well, I have several reports coming from that area of the Lich King’s activity. Keep on it, General, he has to be there. We cannot let him escape again!”

“I know what my orders are,  _ sir _ .”

“And do you remember who I am now?”

“Your father is not yet cold in the ground and you seek to remind  _ me _ of what my duties are? Run along little Prince, the professionals have work to do.”

With a motion of her fingers, Sylvanas pointed to Communication Officer Anya, signalling her to turn off the comms. 

“Sylvanas! Don’t you da-”

Letting out a sigh of relief, Sylvanas relished the silence that hanging up on Kael’thas brought, removing the headache that had started to build behind her eyes. Moving over to the main communication terminal, Sylvanas placed a hand on Anya’s shoulder, guiding her to the side for just a moment whilst she got to work. A few presses on the holographic screen and Sylvanas smiled to herself as she blocked calls from Kael’thas’ personal communications.

“Do you think he’s going to be mad when we get back?” Anya chuckled, as she took her position once more.

“He will just have to deal with it, won’t he?” Sylvanas smirked, clapping Anya on the shoulder and then taking a walk along the bridge. “Someone tell me they’ve seen something! How much fuel do we have left?”

“We’ll need to refuel soon, Ma’am!” Kalira chimed up, turning in her chair and looking up at her leader. “There’s a tauren outpost near here though. One of their little eden projects.”

“A rest from the hunt within a conservation forest? It seems fitting for us, does it not? Very well, communicate with the station that we shall be seeking fuel and accommodations until we are ready to head out again. Hunting our ghost will have to wait, lest we find ourselves lost in the depths of space,” Sylvanas ordered, placing her hands behind her back and surveying the darkness once more.

“Right away, ma’am!”

With a sigh, Sylvanas knew that whilst her and Prince Kael’thas had never truly seen eye to eye, even less so since his rejected marriage proposal, that the man was right. No matter how much it pained her to so much as even think it. As certain as she acted, she was worried that perhaps Arthas had slipped from their grasp. Such a mistake was disastrous. Who knew when they would see him again if they could not find him now? Would it be on their defence sensors? Would the orcs in Draenor have spotted the shape of a ship headed for Quel'Thalas before he managed to breach their atmosphere? Would they know where he was until the moment he destroyed the Sunwell’s defences and took the prize he was threatening to destroy all of her people for. 

Arthas needed to be found and she was going to be the one to do it. She had to be. If she and her Rangers did not, her people would be destroyed and perhaps then the humans on Elwynn would deign to help them. Maybe then the stiff collared members of The Council would start listening to her and her people for once. Maybe Tyrande Whisperwind was entirely ready to let the open distrust her people held for Sylvanas’ stand in the way  of stopping the eradication of them all? A cruel thought but when people like Arthas existed, it was hard to tell who had been corrupted by power and who had not.

Staring into the darkness was doing her no favours and there were plenty of other eyes that she had expressly ordered to keep an eye out and report in the moment they saw anything. Sitting down heavily in her chair, she brought up her holo screen, looking idly at her emails and smiling to herself as she looked at the image that Vereesa had sent her of her and her twins at one of the private pools on the Dalaran Station. It must be simple, she thought, to live on a space station and to no longer have to deal with the sounds of Kael’thas’ voice every single day.

This needed to be over and soon. There was no place Sylvanas wanted to be more than at that pool as well, taking much deserved leave with her sister and the rest of her family.

“I’ll see you soon, Little Moon. I promise you.”

\-----

The tauren druids had greeted them warmly when they had arrived, as short notice as it had been. Sylvanas and a few of her Rangers left the ships to be refuelled, letting the remaining Rangers carry on with their jobs in the dock and overseeing the processes. They would need to be as quick as possible and there was no way they could do so without ensuring they oversaw every last aspect of the refuelling process. They were lead from the docking port by a tauren woman wearing a robe of wonderful earthy green and brown tones, to where they could rest for the evening. As a working outpost, there were not many areas they could stay, but as Rangers, Sylvanas had requested to stay within one of the woodlands that were being cultivated on the post.

As they were lead through a large glass door, Sylvanas breathed a deep sigh of relief as she smelt the refreshing scent of grass. There were trees that reached up towards the artificial light of the buildings, housing small amounts of wildlife that were being tended to by a host of tauren and night elf druids.

“Have you been working on ecological studies here long, Mara?” Sylvanas asked of the tauren, tilting her head as she bent down to cradle a flower within her palm.

“Our project has only been going for a year now. We have brought dying species of Kalimdor here, to attempt to nurture them and hopefully reintroduce them back to their habitats. We don’t want to lose these beautiful creatures and plants, perhaps here they may be able to flourish and grow,” Mara spoke, her soft voice soothing the nerves that seemed to spark at Sylvanas’ skin.

“This is impressive!” Ranger Kalira said, sinking to her knees. “It reminds me of home.”

“Well we hope you are able to find peace here before you continue on your mission, Rangers. The tauren will always stand with your people, as we have done for centuries now.”

“For the Horde,” Sylvanas chuckled, clasping Mara’s hand within her own. “May the Sun protect you.”

“And may the Earth Mother guide your path, General Windrunner,” Mara spoke, bowing slightly before turning to leave the Rangers to their rest.

There was but a second of calm, when Sylvanas felt her eyes droop heavily, exhausted from the stress of the past few days. Taking her bedroll and walking underneath the largest tree she could find, she lay it out amongst the luscious grass and lay down to rest her weary muscles. Sighing, she put her hands behind her head, smiling softly at the way the light filtered through the trees, mimicking perfectly the feeling of sunlight on her skin. Her eyes failed to stay open, drifting closed to the sound of birds chirping and the rustling of nearby druids and rangers working or settling down to rest.

One hour; she slipped into a dream of home. Playing with her siblings under the sun and pulling pranks on each other, being the terrors they were but the friends they came to be.

Two hours; darkness comes, bringing rain, lightening and thunder with it.The weather twists into an arcane crackle, filling her with its sickly force as her siblings disappear from view.

Three hours; a bang jolts her awake. A siren, a warning.

Sylvanas leapt from her place beneath the tree, looking around wildly to gauge the situation. Many of the druids looked scared and confused, pointing up outside the windows. The other rangers followed as Sylvanas took running steps to see what the druids saw and felt her blood run cold. A ship. Decorated with jagged spikes and an icy sheen, peaked like the crown that sits atop the head of a murderer. Of a would be conqueror. A nightmare come to life.

“Rangers, to me!” Sylvanas yelled, racing quickly to the docks and back to their ships. “Mara, set up your defences! Now!”

“Yes, General!” she heard Mara’s voice but did not see her, too focused as she was on getting to the fighters.

As she rounded the corner, she saw the flagship, The Windrunner’s Glory, named after her ancestors, still there and proud and yet that could not be said for the other ships docked in the outpost. Flames shot high, screams echoing in the halls as druids and guards tried desperately to tame the destruction. Of the ships they had brought, all five of them, the pride and joys built by the best engineers in Silvermoon, only 3 of them remained. The others were in pieces, bodies of Rangers laying on the floor, blood pooling around the bodies of friends and soldiers she had known for centuries.

“Sylvanas?” Anya’s voice sounded cracked, choked with emotion that threatened to spill and washed away all rank and procedure.

“He’s here. We must wipe him from his miserable existence for what he has done to our sisters! To your ships, we’re going to show Prince Menethil what happens when you toy with us,” Sylvanas boomed, her legs taking her faster and faster to The Windrunner’s Glory.

Seconds felt like hours, like no movement was quick enough as the outpost was fired upon by the Lich King and his unnatural lot. Sylvanas barked out her orders, helping to ready the ship for emergency launch. Her rangers worked faster than they had ever done so in their lives and by the time they pulled away, Sylvanas could see that they had made it in time for the outpost to still be standing.

Taking one of the weapons panels, Sylvanas narrowed her eyes as they drew into view of Arthas’ ship, looking at it properly for the first time. It was a menacing structure but nothing that couldn’t be torn down. Everything Sylvanas had faced before had been felled and Arthas was no different. This was it, this was going to be the end of this nightmare.

“FIRE!” Sylvanas called over the comms, pressing buttons and firing lasers and missiles towards the ship before them.

They watched as the projectiles seemed to hit the ship’s shield, only to be disintegrated the moment they touched. They fizzled out into nothing but darkness. Shadowy tendrils began to appear from the ship, blocking out any light that had been emitting around it. Slowly, it began to turn away, completely ignoring the projectiles that were being fired towards it. Arthas didn’t seem to even be interested, he merely turned to leave, leaving Sylvanas and her rangers to chase after him into the darkness.

“This… this must be a trap!” Anya called over the noise as they raced after Arthas. “There’s no way it isn’t! We should turn back!”

“What else can we do? We must not let him get away!” Sylvanas shouted back, looking into the screens that showed the station they had just left. “The outpost will be fine, Anya!”

Just as the words left her mouth, a laser shot past them and a world shattering boom echoed through space, sending the ship rocking and teetering off kilter. Looking in the screens now, Sylvanas saw nothing but destruction. Bodies and debris floating in the abyss, glass shattered as the fires won out and engulfed everything that the druids had cultivated in devastating flame. Mara. Mara with the softest voice and the peaceful disposition could not have survived such an attack. 

A scream of rage resounded around the bridge and it took Sylvanas a second to realise that it had come from her. Taking the weapons firmly in hand, she aimed and fired, trying to fill the ship with as many holes as she could, watching as both hers and her ranger’s rockets and missiles were rendered mostly useless against the enemy ship. Still, they pressed on, dodging missiles sent their way and yet none seemed to make contact, almost as if they weren’t aiming to hit them. It was infuriating and as time went on, Sylvanas grew frustrated at not knowing what game they were playing.

Until suddenly, Sylvanas felt a shudder on her ship, sending everyone scrambling to maintain their balance.

“General!” Pilot Velonara yelled, her voice sharp with exertion. “I can’t steer the ship! Something’s taken hold!”

“What?”

“I can’t do… what the  _ fuck _ is that?”

The moment they all looked up, a massive flash blinded Sylvanas, with white and red sparking in her eyes. It felt like a lifetime almost as she tried to regain her sight, only able to hear the screams around her until there was silence. Nothing but a deafening silence and the shuddering of the ship ceased. Cracking an eye open gingerly, Sylvanas looked out the window and could see nothing but darkness. A purple and green hue seemed to coat the landscape and the ship in front of them could be seen amongst what could only truly be described as a horror.

Gnarled mountains stretched upwards on the large land mass below them, twisted into humanoid expressions of fear and pain. They were close. Far too close and with an almighty crash, The Windrunner’s Glory collided with an outcrop of rock that gouged a hole in the hull of the ship. Sylvanas gasped as she was flung to the floor by a force that collided with her back. It was heavy, metal cutting into her skin and what felt like the edge of a blade was pressed against the back of her neck. 

“So we finally meet, Sylvanas Windrunner,” cackled the voice of a man that Sylvanas had never wanted to be close enough to hear. It felt like death upon the back of her skull, a dark shadow that crept into her mind and sent a shrill scream from her lips.

“Now now, none of that. I’m going to give you a gift, Ranger-General. You and your little rangers. You will be mine. My own little soldiers to play with, won’t you?”

A pain slammed into the side of her head, sending her curling into a ball as she felt the weight lift from on top of her. It was too much, yet she opened her eyes, trying desperately to make sense of the smell of sulphur and ash within her nostrils. With all of her strength, she rolled onto her back, looking up through bleary eyes and finding her breath catch in her chest. Looming above her was a man wearing heavy armour and a spiked metallic crown. Blue eyes burned through the sockets and a ghostly white piece of hair seemed to break the blazing blue before her. It was terrifying, to see the man up close, to feel the sharp edge of his blade nick her cheek.

“I… will not serve you,” Sylvanas choked out, her voice coming in rasps through air that seemed to be squeezing the life out of her lungs.

“Oh? We shall see about that won’t we? Come, Windrunner, come join me. You won’t have much choice.”

Sylvanas snarled at the laugh that echoed around her but she could not do much else. She lay there, glaring up at the man above her, her chest burning with hatred of this being and wishing there could be something, anything she could do to make her limp limbs move and  _ act _ . As she struggled, blackness began to take over her sight, dragging her deeper and darker into a shadow that threatened to destroy her. Still she moved, thrashed as much as she could, trying and trying until there was no sight left. No sound. No sense. Just darkness around her dragging her deeper and deeper. Encircling her mind and then nothing.

Nothing but darkness and shadow remained. 


	2. One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now on with the present day >:3c I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it!

******_10 years later._ **

There was something so magical about the view from Jaina Proudmoore’s new offices. In all of her years on Dalaran, from being a fresh faced student to being a member of the Kirin Tor, she had never once had a view where she could see the reaches of space beyond. Now, as Lord Admiral, her Dalaran offices were vast, containing desks of Kul Tirans and other humans and species all of whom were working under her command. All of it was for diplomacy, to ensure the safety of the Azeroth system. As she looked out of the window and down across the rooftops of skyscrapers, over them and far beyond to the space that lay beyond, vast and glorious, she felt proud.

Pressing her fingers against the glass, she smiled down at the park that lay beneath the embassies and main political hub. Below she could see the outlines of people walking and talking, children running around and playing happily together. Each one of them a different race and Jaina could not help but wonder what would have happened if the Alliance had not stopped their invasion of the Horde territories. If her people had not seen reason.

Even after that, what if… no. Arthas was not a name worth thinking about. Jaina closed her eyes, trying to shut out the voices of guilt that always overcame her when she thought of him. By the Light's good graces he was dead now. The former Ranger-General of the quel'dorei had made certain of that. Sylvanas had sacrificed herself. They were all safe now. And yet…

"Lord Admiral, there’s been an urgent summons," came a voice behind her, breaking her from her thoughts.

Turning around she came face to face with Shandris Feathermoon, the chrome of her sentinel's uniform shining in the artificial office light. The night elf looked tired, her ears drooping somewhat as she held out a datapad.

"Lady Whisperwind sent you personally?" Jaina asked, furrowing her brow as she took the pad and skimmed its contents. "They've summoned everyone? All of the leaders or representatives on Dalaran?"

"Yes, Jaina. It seemed urgent," Shandris sighed, taking the datapad back and motioning for her to follow.

"Were you not on assignment?"

"Just came back actually. Mother met me off the ship and practically shoved this into my hand to go and collect people. You were the last one," Shandris said, crossing her arms across her chest and frowning. 

"A message wouldn't have sufficed?" Jaina cocked her head to the side as they walked, pressing an identification badge to the door and letting them both pass through.

"Something about not wanting this on the comms. Just in case anyone was listening."

"That's… unheard of. Did Tyrande not say anything?"

"She barely remembered to say she was happy to see me. I have not seen her so stressed in quite some time. Whatever it is, it's shaken her and the other leaders present really badly. By Elune, I hope whatever it is, is not as bad as the Lich King."

Jaina stiffened, her jaw tensing as she stopped in her tracks. Ducking her head sheepishly, Shandris smiled at Jaina, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently.

"Do not worry, Jaina. He is gone. We need not fear him anymore."

"Yes, yes of course."

"I should not have mentioned it. Come, let's hurry before I stick my foot in it again."

As both women walked towards the council chamber, Jaina could not help but feel her heart race within her chest. Staff members seemed to be bustling more and more the closer they got, one or two holding faces filled with a nervousness that permeated the air. Frowning, Jaina wondered what exactly could have created this energy. Shandris was right, she had not seen people this agitated since those dark years a decade ago when Arthas had turned into whatever evil being he had ended up as. It was still so unclear, still uncertain what powers lay beyond their own understanding that had led him down that path.

When they finally reached the end of their never-ending walk and the doors to the Council room opened for them, Jaina felt her stomach fall into a black hole. Upon the holo screens was an image she had seen far too often, one she wished she could have burned from her mind and yet was unable to even now. 

Arthas Menethil. 

His face twisted into that cruel smile that was so far removed from the young and adventurous boy she had grown up with. The man she had once loved. Instead, the Lich King stared back at them from an image that must have  been just over a decade old. Jaina looked to Shandris, who was grimacing, a look of utmost fear, revulsion and guilt flitted across her kaldorei features and twitched in her ears until the sentinel returned to her professional mask. Still, she reached out a hand and grasped Jaina’s forearm, rubbing her thumb gently over her as Jaina’s eyes returned back to the screen.

“It seems Elune and the Light have not been so kind to us today,” Shandris whispered, squeezing Jaina’s arm once more before returning her hands behind her back. “Let’s get this over with.”

Walking into the busy room, Jaina saw that the majority of the Council and various other leaders had already arrived. Many of whom seemed to have used the portal network that she herself had helped set up, bringing so many people together and filling her with dread. The circular room was as always a daunting place, with walls that towered above them in a darkened dome, enabling everyone to see each other within. As Jaina moved to take her seat, she felt eyes following her the entire way and as Shandris left to take her place by Tyrande Whisperwind’s side, Jaina wished that those eyes would look somewhere else. She didn’t dare look at Anduin, who seemed to be looking at her in apprehension and with a sad smile on his face, not even when she took the place next to him along with the other human leaders. This did not bode well. This reaction did not bode well.

“I see that the most relevant members of our leaderships have all arrived. It is time we get started,” Tyrande spoke, her eyes lingering on Jaina for a moment longer than everyone else. “I believe from the display, it is obvious to everyone why we have gathered here. There has been a recent development in intel that suggests that perhaps the events of ten years ago are not as clear cut as they seemed. Warden Maiev, would you care to present your findings.”

It was a statement, not a question. Jaina wondered how Tyrande always managed to speak in those.

“Warden business surrounding the Maelstrom is continuous,” Maiev began, her gravelly voice filling the chamber with little to no effort. The woman, adorned in her large and imposing armour always managed to command a room. “A distress signal has been identified. Given the unstable nature of space and the disappearance of Illidan Stormrage into its depths, we have kept a close eye on whatever fiendish abnormalities may appear there. This abnormality was unusual.”

Maiev motioned with her hand towards the holo screen, thankfully removing the image of Arthas from it and revealing something… not entirely comforting.

“The Windrunner’s Glory! I would recognise that ship anywhere!” A voice called out, turning the attention of the rest of the room to the current Ranger-General of Quel’Thalas, Vereesa Windrunner. Her already pale face seemed to turned almost ghostly, her blue eyes shining vibrantly. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Your sister’s ship, Ranger-General, has been emitting a distress signal from the Maelstrom for the past few days. It has been checked multiple times and the signatures match exactly,” Tyrande spoke, her eyes focused on the youngest Windrunner sister.

“Well? What are we waiting for? Has no one sent out a search party?” Vereesa exclaimed, her hands balling into fists.

“If the Windrunner’s Glory has been found after a decade, what does that mean?” Jaina spoke, moving from where she stood and circling around the table until she came to a stop beside Vereesa. She placed a hand on the small of her friend’s back, trying to ignore the trembling in her own hands.

“Is it not obvious, Lord Admiral? What would you in your wisdom say that it means?” Tyrande asked, tilting her head curiously in Jaina’s direction from across the large circular table.

“That… at the very least, a vessel we thought to be missing has shown up in an area where historically the most we can gather is that the fabric of reality is thin, given the arcane and physical energy that is given off within. Either it is a trap, or… perhaps its crew were not as dead as we had thought. If Sylvanas Windrunner is alive though, that has grave implications,” Jaina sighed, looking at the image and then towards Vereesa who seemed to be trembling almost as much as she was.

“Yes, if Sylvanas Windrunner and her Rangers are alive and awaiting rescue, then whatever we thought had killed them most certainly did not kill both them and the Lich King. This ship; who is to say that those who were in charge of it did not die and that this is not simply a trap set by a villain we once thought dead. It is troubling.  _ Very _ troubling,” Tyrande added, moving her own hand over towards the holo screen and shifting it to a map of the Maelstrom.

There was a faint red light beeping on the map, slow and steady, sending out the signal that had alerted them all to its presence. Beside her, Vereesa had stilled, her breath being held as she stared at for what for her was a sign of hope. For everyone else though?

“Well we should not go! If this is a trap, we do not want to give over valuable resources. We will need them for any threat that comes through,” Kael’thas spoke up. He looked down at his Ranger-General, sniffing slightly. “We cannot let ourselves be blinded by this. We must be smarter than that.”

“And what if she is alive in there, Kael? She could have information about what happened! We’ve been making assumptions and clearly none of those were correct! Besides, we as a people owe much to my sister,” Vereesa shot back, narrowing her eyes at the dismissive words of her leader.

“What do you suppose? That I send a contingent of you and your rangers to chase a ghost? I think not!” Kael’thas snorted, crossing his arms and looking across the room at Tyrande, no longer giving Vereesa the decency of attention. 

Frowning deeply, Jaina looked over to Anduin and Genn. The older man was nodding despite himself at Kael’thas, lowering his voice to speak to Anduin. She could not make out what was said from her space next to Vereesa but she did not need to hear to know the advice. Genn would not have stuck his neck out for Sylvanas Windrunner when it was certain she was alive and he was one of the first to admit that he was not sad to see her go. But still Anduin looked at her, his smile sad and his face showing his young age too readily.

“Your rangers need not go at this alone. Perhaps we could send some of our people to accompany them,” Anduin spoke, strengthening his voice and meeting Kael’thas with a look of determination.

“The Kul Tiran fleet is more than capable of traversing space well enough to aid the rangers,” Jaina spoke up, squeezing Vereesa’s hand. “We have some of the finest across the system. I must know what this anomaly is.  _ We _ must discern what the threat is.”

Kael’thas opened his mouth as though he were about to say something, before Tyrande put up a hand, effectively silencing him.

Just then, Lady Liadrin, Matriarch of the Blood Knights cleared her throat. She stood tall in her resplendent armour of red and gold, with those keen golden eyes shining directly at Kael’thas. “The Blood Knights would be glad to offer our aid as well. It is imperative that we find out what happened to the Lady Windrunner, some of us were not quite so content to believe she had perished without a trace of a body. I must see for myself what became of her.”

Tyrande seemed to consider this for a moment, looking between Vereesa, Jaina and Liadrin before nodding finally. She clasped her hands before her, motioning for the three of them to step forward. They all did so, despite the indignant sound that Jaina could hear leaving Kael’thas’ mouth. As they moved forward, Tyrande produced a data pad and folder, it appeared as if the woman had known exactly who would step forward, as there seemed to be information that was relevant for both the Kul Tiran fleet, Farstriders and Blood Knights embossed on the front of the folder.

“Were you expecting us?” Vereesa asked, eyebrows furrowing as the ran her fingers over the Farstrider symbol.

“Perhaps I had Shandris fetch you all in the hopes it would be you who would volunteer. The kaldorei cannot offer much in the way of people, but Warden intel and aid is yours when you arrive at their outpost. We must find out what the source of this signal means. I can send Shandris with you as well, she is familiar with the Wardens you will be meeting with and can help you track down The Windrunner’s Glory.” Tyrande placed a hand over Vereesa’s for a second, for the first time that day a smile gracing her lips.

“Thank you, Lady Whisperwind.” Vereesa smiled back, nodding as she handed the folder to Liadrin and the data pad to Jaina.

“I wish you the best of luck. For your sister’s sake… and for all of our own.”

\-----

Finding the resources for the mission had taken less time than Jaina would have anticipated. Gathering a small fleet of starships seemed to have been made easier with Tyrande’s own help and by the time close to 48 hours had past, Jaina stood upon the docking bays, watching as one of the small scout vessels of the Kul Tiran fleet was being loaded with supplies. Captain Taelia would be commanding the ship, whilst Jaina helped head the investigation in the flagship, where her, Vereesa, Liadrin and Shandris would all be organising the effort.

Dalaran’s position closer to Elwynn meant that at least there would be no need to cross the Dragon’s Belt asteroids to get to their destination. In theory, it should be easy until they reached the edge of the Maelstrom and yet Jaina still felt this nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. Whatever they found at the end of their destination was not going to be good. Either they found Sylvanas and learned of the truth they had been so wilfully ignorant of, or it truly was a trap laid out by a force they did not wish to see.

Scanning her eyes over the busy crowd, she settled on where Lady Liadrin stood. The elf was holding the hands of her wife, First Arcanist Thalyssra of Suramar, who was urgently speaking to her. Both women seemed to be ignoring the world around them as Liadrin pulled the shal’dorei down to her level and kissed her softly, seeming to put an end to whatever discussion Thalyssra had been trying to have with her. 

Curiously, Jaina walked over to the both of them, truly not wishing to interrupt but with Thalyssra being so well versed in the arcane and the shal’dorei and their knowledge on magic that specifically pertain to time, realities and space, there was no one she was more relieved to see. They had spoken together on academics and arcane theory before and Jaina had always appreciated the women’s intellect as well as that soothing voice that made listening to her almost a privilege.

“I hope I’m not interrupting?” Jaina asked as she finally popped up beside them, a small smile on her face.

“Lord Admiral! Will you please inform my wife that where you are going is  _ exceedingly _ dangerous and to remember to not put herself in any position where I am going to have to identify her body.” Thalyssra seemed relieved to see her, her hands planting firmly on Liadrin’s cheeks as she pulled away from her wife’s lips. “The Maelstrom is nothing to simply call a routine mission.”

“Thalyssra! I… don’t think Liadrin would listen to me, even if I tried,” Jaina laughed, shaking her head as Liadrin smirked at that and enclosed her hands around Thalyssra’s wrists. “I actually wished to talk to you about the area, if you don’t mind.”

“I believe we went into this intensively last time we spoke, did we not?” Thalyssra asked, raising an eyebrow as she allowed Liadrin to move one of her arms around her shoulders instead of on her face. 

“We did. I… you were present at the meeting were you not? What do you believe is the scenario here?”

“Truthfully? The best case scenario is that Sylvanas Windrunner is alive and well and can tell us what she knows. We know for a fact that reality is thin and that portals can be created. We do it all the time, you and I, after all. If rifts and portals are at play here… well I know what we all fear,” Thalyssra spoke, furrowing her brow as she thought for a moment. “You are prepared for this being the case, are you not?”

“Mentally or actually?” Jaina chuckled more to herself than to anyone else. “We shall deal with the situation as it comes. That is all we can do for now. Until then, I will try to make sure Liadrin doesn’t need to sacrifice herself for anyone else, as noble as she is.”

Thalyssra laughed at that, whilst Liadrin crossed her arms and shook her head in exasperation. Turning to her wife once more, Liadrin gently stroked over her cheek bones and brought her in for another kiss. With that, Jaina swiftly bid the two of them farewell, leaving the couple to their goodbyes and not wanting to intrude on such a moment for much longer. The oddity was that Vereesa was nowhere in sight, Jaina had been keeping an eye out for her and even as she returned to her final check ups of the ships, she could not see Vereesa anywhere.

Finally, when all was said and done and the ships were ready to launch, Jaina found Vereesa in the commanding officer’s chair of their flagship, The Uniter, a ship Vereesa had been commanding for some time out of hope. Perhaps it was now a fitting name for the vessel, that would be leading all of them to the depths of space. The elf looked uncertain as she sat, looking at a holo screen with misty eyes. As Jaina drew closer, she saw an image of Vereesa and her twins. Jaina recognised the pool they were all in as Rhonin’s, back when life was simpler for Vereesa, when she had both of her sisters and loving husband and kids. Now? Well the kids remained but all else had been lost to her and as always Jaina worried for her friend. At first she placed her hands on Vereesa’s shoulders, waiting for the telltale sag of her body before Jaina bent down fully and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. They both looked at the photograph and as Jaina glanced at the date of it, there was no mistaking why Vereesa would be staring at this one now.

“I sent Sylvanas this photo the day or so before she disappeared,” Vereesa said softly, her fingers reaching forward as if to stroke it. As if it were something tangible she could grasp in her fingers. “I don’t know if she even saw it. Perhaps she was too busy, there is no one I could ask to check, they all disappeared with her. Anya, Velonara, Kalira… normally I could just message one of them to make sure Sylvanas was looking after herself. I think I sent many messages to all of them, hundreds to Sylvanas even!”

Jaina waited, holding her friend close and letting her bury her face into Jaina’s arms. She did not need to say anything, they both knew that there was nothing that Jaina could say to make the pain feel any better. No way she could take away that sorrow that Vereesa had held so deeply in her chest, no matter how many years had passed and how many times she had woken up and gotten on with her day. It hurt her every moment, Jaina knew this, she had been there for most of it. Instead, she held and she listened, that was all Vereesa had wanted from her, was someone to listen and now she would need it more than ever.

“Thank you,” Vereesa whispered, pulling away from Jaina’s embrace and standing up. When she faced Jaina, there were tears rolling down her eyes and Jaina could not help but to raise her fingers to brush them away. “You did not hesitate to offer your aid. I know… well I know that you have a particular interest in this, especially with Arthas but I am grateful to have you by my side in this.”

“Even were Arthas not involved, I would fly with you to the ends of the universe to see you happy, Vereesa.” Jaina cupped Vereesa’s cheek and leant forward, kissing her on the forehead. “We’re going to find out what happened to Sylvanas, I swear to you.”

Vereesa surged forward, burrowing into Jaina’s chest in a tight hug. With a comforting hand on the back of her head, Jaina held her friend hoping that whatever words they both needed to say would be conveyed in this one seemingly simple action. Peace and quiet surrounded them for but a moment, with the humming of the ship and the distant sounds of others coming to join them. As soon as the door slid open, Vereesa pulled back, smiling gratefully before moving to address where Shandris and Liadrin stood, watching the two of them.

“Are you ready, Vereesa?” Shandris asked, her ears twitching and her brow furrowing in concern.

“As ready as I'll ever be! Let’s go save my sister.”

Liadrin moved forward and placed a hand on Vereesa’s shoulder, looking towards the rest of the crew. “You heard the Ranger-General! To the Maelstrom!”

With that, the comms were ignited, the orders given across the fleet. This would be the start of something, a voyage into the great unknown. Jaina watched as they set out without issue, leaving Dalaran and all of those civilians ignorant to what they were going to do, to all the friends they were leaving behind. Something inside of her told her this would be the last time she would know peace for some time.

Something big was about to happen, she could feel it in her bones. All she could do was hope that she was wrong. Very wrong.


	3. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took awhile but I'm getting there and now with a fancy playlist that helps me keep on going ;D I hope you enjoy! Heads up, I might add a sci fi horror take to this cause erm... I made it a bit creepy

Space. So often as a little girl had Jaina been taught the wonders and dangers that existed out here and as they neared the Warden Outpost, those lessons came to her harder and quicker than ever before. Where there is awe, there is also fear. Where the stars shine in the distance, there are shadows that conceal the darkest existences. The Maelstrom was the closest thing to true darkness that existed in their solar system and the sheer force and magical energies that it exuded crackled upon Jaina’s skin, even within the confines of her ship.

To hear the communication with the Wardens was a relief, as the voice of Sira Moonwarden greeted them and allowed them to dock. It was the closest thing to safety they could hope to achieve here and by the Gods, they would need just a moment of reprieve before venturing bravely into the dark expanse before them. There was no telling what they would find upon The Windrunner’s Glory, no real suggestion as to the true nature of its current state. Jaina had watched as Vereesa had spent most of her time in silence, barely taking part in any social conversations and purely speaking when there were plans to be made and reports to be done. There had been hours of time when Vereesa had simply sat beside Jaina, taken out a holopad and continued working, far too anxious to talk and yet seeking the comfort of her friend just the same. 

By the time they stepped off of their spacecraft, Vereesa seemed to have an entirely ramped up nervous energy about her. Her hand shake with Sira was a little too firm, her jaw a little too tense. It did not seem to phase the strong kaldorei who was now leading them to the information centre of their outpost. At least, it did not seem to bother her, her expression was almost as inscrutable as Maiev’s always was. Her shoulders broad and relaxed with the posture of a true, battlework soldier. Shandris seemed to be talking with her almost familiarly, though Jaina supposed that they must have known each other. The kaldorei lived a ridiculously long time and when both of them were high ranking members in their society, it should have been of little surprise that they should have that kind of raport.

The conversation was light, something that Jaina could see was getting under Vereesa’s skin and something that Liadrin must have noticed as well, if the firm hand on the Ranger-General’s shoulder was anything to go by. It was not until they had finally reached the information centre, with its large screens and protected doors, that the conversation turned, almost dramatically.

“What’s the status report?” Shandris asked almost immediately as the doors closed behind them.

“We have gone as close as we have dared,” Sira spoke, bringing up an image on the screen of the Windrunner’s Glory as it was now, hanging in dead space, although unfortunately, not alone. “As you can see, it seems the signal has been picked up by various pirates in the area. Only one has been brave enough to venture, but with the vessel still there…”

“We don’t know what happened to the crew do we?” Liadrin spoke, stepping forward and clasping her hands behind her back. 

“No. There has been no sign of life from either the pirate ship or the Windrunner. Not since the pirates boarded the vessel anyway.”

“How long?” Vereesa asked, her fingers trailing almost wistfully against the image of her sister’s ship. 

“A little over two days now.”

“Two days?”

Sira nodded, motioning for one of the Wardens seated, who handed her a paper report. Strange that they would have used something as rudimentary as paper, but Jaina supposed they had their reasons. Opening it up, Commander Moonwarden skimmed the pages, frowning and looking up at Jaina and her team with a look of dread. Silently, she handed Vereesa the report. Jaina watched her best friend’s reaction as she read, her eyes skimming the document until her brows furrowed and she took a deep, shaky breath.

“There… are no lifeforms. You recorded no life forms on that ship?” Vereesa asked, her lip trembling as Jaina instantly clasped her hand in hers, offering her strength and support as she seemed to shake. It was like watching her world shatter all over again and Jaina felt her heart tear at the seams just witnessing it.

“Not from what our sensors can tell. We are not sure entirely though, we have also detected an exceedingly strange energy signature from the vessel. It is unlike anything we’ve seen before since… well since The Lich King,” Sira spoke, her lips pursing. “Given the nature in which it disappeared, this is not too surprising, but it also means that it could have thrown off our other readings.”

“It is foolish, I think, to hope for my sister to be on that ship. Is it not?” Vereesa spoke, closing the report and handing it back to the Commander. 

“Hope is important, Ranger-General.” Liadrin patted her shoulder, rubbing her back slightly as if trying to soothe her. “I think all that we can say is that there is something dangerous on that ship. Whether it is your sister or not…”

“My sister has always been dangerous,” Vereesa laughed, rubbing her cheek as a tear slipped from the corner of her eye. “You just had to stay on the right side of her.”

“Be strong, Lady Vereesa,” Shandris added softly, reaching up and brushing a tear away from her other cheek. “We shall find our answers soon enough. How quickly can you get us there?”

“Did you not require rest and supplies?” One of the other Wardens chimed in, turning around in her chair. “You’ll need your strength to face whatever’s on that ship. If you don’t mind me saying.”

It was then that Vereesa turned to Jaina, her blue eyes filled with fear and uncertainty. Of a need and a hesitation all at once. A silent plea for Jaina to say something, anything to be the voice of reason she needed. They had done this for each other often in their lives, neither needed words to know exactly what that look was asking for. “We should rest. Take stock of our supplies and prepare for whatever awaits up. We will not succeed if we go off half-cocked. We’ve got our plans and our strategies. We know the protocols. We need to make sure we keep a level head and approach this as we would any dangerous unknown.”

“Well said, Lord Admiral,” Liadrin’s deep voice holding all the affirmation and authority that Jaina sometimes feared that her academic background had not adequately given her. At least not yet in the way that Liadrin seemed to command.

Sira Moonwarden nodded, motioning with her hand to the door they had come through in a sweeping hand gesture. Her silver eyes glowed amongst the lights of the room and as she opened her mouth to speak, fanged flashed in the light. “Right this way, we have already prepared your rooms. Let me show you where you will be sleeping, needless to say, I think you will be wishing to find your way to bed sooner rather than later.”

With a final squeeze to Vereesa’s hand, Jaina followed behind the tall kaldorei, watching as her ponytail swished with every step. She felt then, the gentle squeeze being returned and as she looked back at the impossibly exhausted face of her friend, Jaina hoped beyond all hope that what they found on The Windrunner’s Glory would finally reunite Vereesa with her sister and not another nightmare.

\-----

There was a tension that hung over them; something ao tangible it could be sliced through by a knife. Now, as they travelled, as well rested as they could manage and fed, the time was drawing closer. Each inch they took felt as though they were hurtling towards pain or doom and Jaina could not even begin to figure out which it would be. The truth would certainly be found, a small reassurance. 

Standing on the bridge, Jaina looked around her, gauging the faces of her compatriots on the mission. For Liadrin, she at least looked strong, her eyes analysing the Windrunner's Glory as they approached, her face an impeccable mask of professionalism. Shandris? Well she looked concerned, although her eyes seemed resolutely glued on Vereesa who was standing at the glass, her eyes never moving away from the ship before them. Her hands were trembling, her eyes glassy as of lost in a distant memory.

Walking over, Jaina gently placed her hand on Vereesa's shoulder, joining her in silence. As they watched, Liadrin gave the order to fly in close and to allow the two ships to join. The pirate ship that had been attached in the reports seemed to have been floated earlier, as it seemed to drift, not too far away but certainly not attached as it had been. 

Movement then? At least there must be something alive here after all.

"Are you ready?" Jaina asked, squeezing Vereesa's shoulder. 

"As I'll ever be… we will know soon enough if it was worth coming here," Vereesa spoke, dragging her attention from the ship and trying her hardest to fix a smile on her ever paling face. "Let's move out."

The tension seemed to only heighten as they crossed the threshold between the ships, as if there was some unseen force that what pressing in on them. It was dark in The Windrunner’s Glory, where nothing but dim emergency lights seemed to flicker and die. Jaina felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise up, her hands ready to cast at a second’s notice, crackling with arcane that only seemed to add to the oppressive atmosphere. There was magic in the air, she could sense it clear as day and it seemed that her two high elven counterparts seemed to be sensing it too. But something was off. Something was very off.

“Do you feel that? It’s feels like death is crawling at my skin.” Liadrin raised her metal shield and pristine adamantite sword that shimmered with energy, attempting to illuminate the path ahead of them. “The shadows do not shy from the light. There is something very wrong here.”

Shandris stepped forward then, her keen silver eyes scanning the darkness ahead of them. Readying her composite bow, she lead them forward, scouting ahead as best she could amongst the darkness. There was barely a sound and even their footfalls and breaths felt as if they were being sucked into some form of vacuum, disappearing into the darkness and held there. Consumed. Jaina did not need to chance a look at Vereesa to know the fear that would be written all over her face. She could almost feel the tremors that shook down her arm as Vereesa held her wrist for but a moment, steadying and supporting herself in the face of this abnormality. This darkness.

Soon, Vereesa had left her side, leaving her in the back so that she might lead Shandris in the right direction. After all, this was a Quel’dorei ship, it was her sister’s ship and before that it had been built almost the split image of their mother Lireesa’s. Vereesa knew this place like the back of her hand and yet even her steps faltered. Suddenly, a rustle to the side, almost too slight to notice and a flash of movement caught the corner of Jaina’s eye. She turned around, blue eyes beginning to glow a vibrant blue as her magic rose to her fingertips. Before she could focus, the movement was gone. Perhaps it was but a mere trick of the mind.

The glow of her eyes, however, illuminated a shape up ahead. A slumped mass was leant against a wall, unmoving. Vereesa held up her hand to slow them down, warning for caution as she approached. Tentative step after tentative step was taken, until Jaina heard a gasp escape her friend's lips.

"It's… they've been torn apart!"

Surging forward, Jaina crouched down in front of the figure and instantly felt herself retch. The body's face was twisted in terror, perhaps the only part of then still in tact. Their second skin armour was shredded, their skin ripped and torn until in many places decaying, black flesh and organs seemed to spill out of every cut. The expected stench was not there, as if this foul and twisted magic that had seized him had taken over the decomposure. It was death. Liadrin had been right. The magic was heavy in decay, sliding over Jaina's skin until she felt herself feel almost clammy.

"The Lich King…" Shandris breathed, her voice almost trembling. 

"No. This is not his doing." Liadrin moved forward to inspect the body now, casting her intelligent gaze over him. "There is something more feral about this. Angrier. I would recognise the Lich King's handiwork and this… the magic is similar but it is not him."

"Then who is it?" Jaina asked, grimacing as she felt as though the answer hung before them. Obvious but unthinkable. Unspeakable. 

"Sylvanas?!" Vereesa's voice cracked, her body trembling as she looked around the darkness. "It's me! It's your Little Moon!"

Silence. All except for the eerie creaking of the desolate ship seemed to still. As the group looked around, Jaina could feel her chest begin to squeeze with anxiety, fear, her hands growing clammy as she wiped them on her trousers and hoped in vain perhaps that would help. Vereesa stepped further down the corridor, one foot after the other into the darkness, her bow raised and her entire body taut and ready to strike. A rustle. A creak. The rest of them followed, circled as if to watch from all sides for any signs of attack. 

Magic rose in Jaina’s palm, a shimmering ball of ice that glowed and lit their way. She wanted nothing more than for their enemy to show themselves. To reveal themselves from the dark so that perhaps she could face the fear that was gripping her. An enemy she could see was something she always appreciated, but right now it felt as if they were being toyed with. Teased and played in some twisted game of cat and mouse. 

Footsteps. Running away from them, where once they had been soundless. Down the corridor and to the right, towards where one would expect the bridge.

“We are being led,” Shandris spoke, her voice quiet and tense. “If we follow, we may be walking right into a trap.”

“What else are we to do?” Vereesa asked through her teeth. “Trap or an invitation, we must take the risk for either.”

“If this is Sylvanas…”

“We were only invited once I stated who I was.” Vereesa’s voice was harder now, surer, as she took a step forward and followed the sounds. “Sylvanas used to leave trails for me to find when we wound hunt each other for games in the woods. Perhaps she would startle and animal that would lead me towards where it had run, showing me where she was. This feels much the same.”

“You are putting a lot of faith into this, Lady Windrunner…” Shandris trailed off, peering towards Vereesa with concern.

“Shandris, what would you suggest?”

“I… do not wish to see you hurt, Vereesa. Still, I shall put my trust in you. Lead on, our host may graciously be waiting for us.”

Vereesa turned to Jaina then, looking to her as if for approval or strength, she was not quite sure which. She nodded all the same, flashing a smile that she knew would not be matching her eyes, though in this situation, how could it? With the sparks of busted electricals flashing occasionally and the stench of something so akin to death, it was difficult to genuinely smile in such a place. But they walked forward just the same, with Vereesa leading the way, her head held high and her bow raised. Liadrin followed close behind, being the one more skilled in melee, she wanted to protect from no matter what came at them, her shield ready to be raised just in case. It felt as if they were walking some sinister funeral march, towards a death of some sort in the horror and darkness that pressed in on them. The air grew almost dense as they neared the doorway, pushing through until slowly it slid open for them.

The bridge was dark, but there was enough light for Jaina to see the carnage that lay within. A massive dent in the wall that looked like it had received the full force of a very powerful fist was sparking beside the control panel and other such dents scattered on panels and even the floor. Scratches of sharpened claws tore at the covers of chairs and most gruesome of all were the bodies. Some torn in half, with that same black ichor seeping from their wounds as if it were controlling death and decay itself. All of the bodies seemed as if they were still relatively fresh, the pirates perhaps, who had been recently cut loose, clearly had found their miserable end here.

 A sudden bang and a flash of movement and Jaina could not even process what was happening until she found herself lifted up with great strength and pinned harshly against a nearby wall.

Vereesa screamed, letting loose an arrow that Jaina could not even see where it hit because all she could see was red. Red eyes that glowered into her, stiffening her body and filling her with dread. Her breath caught in her throat, a scream choked on her lips and all she could do was stare wide eyes into a snarl and twisted face. Darkness enshrouding those devilish eyes, squeezing her chest with supernatural strength.

“Sylvanas? Stop that! Now!” Jaina heard Vereesa shout, although it all seemed so far away. There was nothing but her and this entity. Nothing in this universe but them.

“What foul illusion is this?” Came the discordant voice of the being who clutched at her throat, tightening with what looked like shadow tendrils that wrapped around her. “What manner of trickery are you trying to pull using the image of my dear sister against me?!”

“ _ Sylvanas _ , this is no trick!” It was Liadrin now, her voice closer and brighter somehow, slicing through the darkness until Jaina saw those red eyes flicker away. “Unhand her at once!”

“...Liadrin?” The voice seemed to soothe if only for a fraction, those eyes moving back to Jaina’s with curiosity. “Yet why out of all, must you feel so strong? Little mage is it?”

“What happened to you?” Vereesa asked, her voice strained as though she were holding back tears.

“You… I can smell him on you. It is faint. But it is there. Who are you, little mage? You whose scent lingers on Arthas Menethil.” Sylvanas did not lower her, but she did lessen her hold, moving what felt like a claw to stroke at Jaina’s cheek.

“Jaina Proudmoore,” she finally spoke, her chest heaving in fear. “My name is Jaina.”

“Proudmoore… hmm? Is this fate perhaps?”

Sylvanas seemed to be satisfied if for now, as she let Jaina stand and stepped back so that she may see all of her. As Jaina looked, she could not help but gasp at the woman before her. She had met Sylvanas Windrunner perhaps only once or twice before her disappearance, but had seen enough family photographs to know how much the woman before her had changed. Her skin, once a sunkissed olive, now looked pallid and almost blue, her brilliant blonde locks thinner and less vibrant. Grey, stormy eyes now looked at her with such a vicious red, that Jaina felt her knees tremble at the sight. What had happened to her? What was going on here? That strength and the tendrils that had held her… 

“What has become of you?” Liadrin asked, cutting to the chase before anyone could utter another word. “What did that bastard do to you?”

Turning, Sylvanas moved with feline precision, her hands folded behind her back as she seemed to study Liadrin before her. There was what looked almost to be a quirk of a smile upon her face, her shadows fully disappearing until there was naught but a woman, no matter how different she may appear. Then, her head moved and her eyes fell upon Vereesa who seemed to be frozen in place, her cheeks streaked with silent tears, her lip trembling as if she were nothing more than a child trying to hold back her emotions. A clawed hand reached up, slowly cupping Vereesa’s cheek and stroking the tears away, a look of curiosity and sadness echoing in Sylvanas’ eyes.

“My Little Moon, how long it has been,” Sylvanas spoke, her voice softer now than ever. “If only it were on better terms.”

“Sylvanas, please, tell us what happened.” Vereesa clutched at her sister’s wrist, turning her face to kiss lightly upon her palm. “How were you able to return? Why did you?”

“The how is not important for now,” Sylvanas said, those red eyes burning brighter again. “The why is what you must know. He is coming. He is coming with armies beyond your wildest nightmares, beyond this realm and into the shadows. He seeks revenge and to find a weapon that could bring him swift victory this time.”

“Arthas? He’s coming back? The Lich King returns?” Shandris asked, her voice shaking as she stepped forward, fists clenched beside her.

“He does,” Sylvanas spoke. Suddenly she turned to Jaina, pointing a finger and grimacing. “He returns to claim her.”


	4. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying and failing to get a schedule for writing and updating this! I hope you enjoy this chapter! We out here setting up the pieces on this chess board of space

The entire ship stilled as Jaina’s companions and Sylvanas looked towards her. Confusion, curiosity and fear played across all of their faces, except for Sylvanas whose cold eyes merely narrowed and her arms moved to cross her chest. That intimidating presence almost stood accusing, as if Jaina had any idea why Arthas would be coming back for her! Oh, by the Gods, Arthas was coming back? For  _ her _ ?

Vereesa stepped forward then, away from her sister and towards her best friend, holding out a hand for Jaina to clutch onto it. It seemed that her stricken face had been obvious to everyone except herself, as Vereesa pushed passed her own fears and pulled Jaina into her arms. It was odd, to feel that warm comfort wrapped around her and yet all Jaina could do was stare unblinking back at Sylvanas. The elder Windrunner arched one of her long brows, tilting her head curiously as she regarded the hold that Vereesa had on her.

“You are close with this Proudmoore, Little Moon?” Sylvanas asked, her words laced in ice. “How fitting, that our doom should have befriended my sister.”

“What are you  _ talking _ about, Sylv?” Vereesa shot back, turning rapidly on her sister and glowing. She always had been protective of Jaina, especially as besides her kids, Jaina was the closest thing to present family she had left. 

Not content with staying still and watching from a distance any longer, Sylvanas walked forward, almost circling the both of them. Her body was lithe, moving in black mail armour that almost looked like it was faintly smouldering with what seemed like dark smoke. It made Jaina tense as Sylvanas examined her from every angle, those eyes plainly deconstructing her in a single glance. A shudder ran down her spine as she tried to follow her gaze, standing up tall and defiant against the scrutiny. 

“The  _ boy _ mentioned you from time to time. Gloated even that one day he would have us both at his command. How arrogant he thought, that I would want to accept you as my Queen so readily. How foolish to believe that I would continue to bend the knee he tried so persistently to break,” Sylvanas snarled, her gloved hands flexing to claws as if preparing to strike. “I can smell the magic on you. I can smell how strongly it flows. It seems he was at least, not wrong about that.”

“Arthas wants me to be his Queen?” Jaina's voice trembled and she frowned deeply at the thought. They had been betrothed once. She had said yes to him. That had been before he changed though and she had thrown the ring he had given her back in his face.

“What is he going to do with her? What did he do to you?” Liadrin spoke, drawing the attention to her if only but for a moment.

The paladin stepped forward, looming at Sylvanas’ shoulder and places a strong hand upon it. With a snarl, Sylvanas violently ripped away, gripping and twisting Liadrin’s wrist until the woman grunted in pain. Gold eyes shone into red then, silence stretching until finally Liadrin wrenched her hand out of the tight grip. There was no flinching away though, only challenge as Liadrin rose an eyebrow.

“It does not  _ matter _ . His cruelty has already been done. What matters is that we move fast. If you do not mind Liadrin, do not presume to touch me like you used to. The woman I was is  _ dead _ .”

“Sylvanas…” Vereesa lowered her voice, holding out her hand for Sylvanas to take. The offer was ignored.

“Proudmoore, tell me,” Sylvanas spoke, ignoring Liadrin and Vereesa as she stepped towards her. “What would you do if Arthas offered you power beyond your wildest dreams? Would you follow him down the path he treads?”

It was Jaina’s turn to scowl now. This woman had been missing for a decade and hadn’t known her especially well before then. All Sylvanas had known was that she was friends with Vereesa and it seemed that Jaina had made so little an impression when they first met that she had not even remembered her. To Sylvanas, Jaina had been a human her sister had only just made friends with and she had bigger fish to fry. But now, she looked at her as if she expected Jaina to say yes. As if she wanted to be vindicated in the disdain and anger that seemed to present in those burning coals. Heated pits of molten flame imbedded amongst the ice of her expression.

She stepped forward until her and Sylvanas were but an inch apart, her chin tilted upwards as she levelled her with her gaze. “When Arthas swept through and murdered those in Stratholme Outpost, I did not follow him then. There was a time when I would have been his Queen regardless of if he was the Lich King and I refused it. That has not changed. I would sooner kill the man he has become myself, for the man I fell in love with has been dead for so long. Don’t you  _ dare _ assume I would follow such a path! Power means little to me if it comes with a river of blood.”

“This fight will spill blood no matter what,” Sylvanas spoke, her voice still hard and her lips pursed into a thin line.

“I shall spare as much as I can. I will not be the ruthless partner to his schemes he wanted even then. I have not forgotten myself. Can you say the same, Sylvanas?”

A derisive snort filled the air as Sylvanas pulled her gaze away, peering past Jaina and towards the doorway they had entered through. The dark wisps died down from Sylvanas' armour and what even seemed to be a hint of a smile quirked at her lips. She motioned behind them with her hand and suddenly Jaina felt a new presence. Silence continued but that oppressive feeling that rolled off Sylvanas in waves, seemed to linger more quietly behind Jaina.

"Change of plan, my Queen?" Came a voice, lilting and yet still discordant. 

"Proudmoore may yet be an asset to us," Sylvanas spoke, completely ignoring the others in the room. "Have you gathered the others, Anya?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Lord Admiral." Jaina crossed her arms fixing Sylvanas with another glare.

"Excuse me?" Sylvanas scoffed, looking back to her as if it was taking far too much effort and time.

"I am Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras. Not simply 'Proudmoore'."

"Oh, my apologies, Lady Proudmoore. How  _ exceedingly _ rude of me," Sylvanas snarked, rolling her eyes. "Now, unless anyone has anything else  _ so _ important, we should leave. Now."

"Sylvanas-"

"No Vereesa, it can wait. Somethings I have no intention of repeating. I am certain we shall be returning to Dalaran to see the Council of Frustrations. I shall speak more there. Now, let's go. Me and my crew are in need of a change of scenery."

Before any of the others could say a word, Sylvanas motioned again with her finger. Such a simple action set the entire ship in motion. Shadows moved as figures appeared out of them, hooded and shrouded in darkness. Some of them had long pointed ears that poked through their hoods, while others seemed human in origin. They all followed Sylvanas, barely giving the others a second look as they followed in her footsteps. 

My Queen. That is what her ranger had said, isn't it? Just what had changed for Sylvanas in her decade away?

"Has she always been this way?" Jaina huffed, crossing her arms as she frowned at Sylvanas' retreating back.

Vereesa shook her head, worrying her lip between her teeth. "Not entirely. She always had attitude and spoke her mind but this seems…"

"Like she has no more fucks to give?" Shandris snorted, shouldering her bow and beginning to walk after Sylvanas and her crew.

"Maiev and Kael'thas are going to end up killing her," Vereesa groaned, rubbing her hands down her face.

"Not if I kill her first," Jaina mumbled under her breath.

With that they moved forth, with more questions than answers and far more than they had bargained for. Jaina sighed, she had wanted to find the truth. Yet there was something about Sylvanas with her sneers and smirks and derisive snorts that was going to get on her nerves. Pinching her nose, she could feel the beginnings of a headache attempting to make her life hell. There was no way this was going to lessen, not until they could squeeze some information from Sylvanas; she was sure of it.

\-----

It was usually hard to find solitude on space vessels, harder still with an entire second set of crew. Jaina had watched them all, peering over books and endless cups of coffee. Sylvanas seemed impossible to get information out of, as she simply spent most of her time stood with her hands behind her back. Her eyes never drifted far from the space they travelled through, her lips pursed as if deep in thought. 

Her crew seemed as changed as she was. With pallid skin that seemed to mimic death, even though Jaina was certain she had seen a number of them eat and drink. Vereesa had spoken to a few of the faces she recognised, members of the Sylvanas’ old crew who had chased Arthas all those years ago. But why were there humans here? Where did they come from?

Sylvanas had been frustratingly silent about all of it.

"My lady does not appreciate being watched." A gruff, male voice pulled Jaina out of her thoughts.

Turning to her side, Jaina came face to face with a man with eyes that burned like embers. His lips were turned down into a frown as he surveyed her down his nose, huffing a bit as Jaina tilted her head to the side. He seemed to be the only one of Sylvanas' crew not wearing a hood, so she could see that his veins seemed black beneath his skin. Something was seriously wrong with these people. What wasn't Sylvanas telling them?

"I like being stared at even less," he grunted, his scowl deepening. "Treat the Banshee Queen with some respect."

"The Banshee Queen? Sylvanas?" Jaina's ears perked up at the slightest notion of information, hoping she was finally going to find out more about the woman they had come to save.

"Yes. She has done a great deal for us and deserves some respect. If you or any of that Council dare threaten her I'll-"

"That's enough Nathanos."

Jaina looked away from the man and his lecture, up into the face of the very women they had been discussing. Sylvanas placed a hand on the man's shoulder, squeezing it in reassurance. The simple action did little to assuage the glare, but Nathanos did at least stop talking. Without a single word passed between them, the man she now knew was called Nathanos, stood up and moved away to glower from the corner, leaving Sylvanas to take the seat he had once occupied.

The elf did not speak, merely propped her feet up on the table and leant back in the chair. She raised an eyebrow, plucking the book Jaina had been reading, ignoring the disgruntled protests. It had not been anything enlightening, merely discussions on the different planes that had been found and catalogued throughout the known universe. In true, haughty elf fashion, Sylvanas scoffed at the page she had been reading on the Twisting Nether and licked her finger to flip through the pages of the book.

“The Twisting Nether is where the Fel Demons reside, little mage. Do they teach you nothing in Kul Tiras?” Sylvanas chuckled, peering up over the book for just a second before returning to her page flipping.

“Well, if you’d just tell us where you went and what happened to you, maybe I wouldn’t have to see if you've been affected by demons.” Jaina watched as Sylvanas folded the corner of a page over, much to the mage’s annoyance. She hated it whenever anyone did that. “What are you doing?”

Sylvanas did not even look up. “I’m helping.”

“Helping?”

“Yes, Proudmoore.” Sylvanas rolled her eyes as she finally seemed to find the page and slammed the book down on the table with a thud. “Is that so hard to believe?”

“Erm, yes? You throttled me the second we met and haven’t exactly been forthcoming with any specifics!” Jaina sighed in exasperation, reluctantly looking down at the book.

Frowning at the words on the page, she leaned in, eyes scouring the passage before her. The Shadow Plane. A plane that was only mentioned occasionally in the books. One that hardly anyone documented cause those that went never came back. Expeditions and rescue teams had entered and no one had heard anything from them again. By now, it was seen as a lost cause, that they would have to keep watch for anything new that could have crossed over into their plane. So far, there had been nothing since the last crew had crossed over in an attempt five years ago. Nothing but silence and the fear of the unknown. 

“This… it can’t be,” Jaina whispered, flipping back in the book where one of the pages had been earmarked. Corruption. A plague that had taken out the majority of an outpost, where all of the researchers and guards had been found with blackened veins and rotted insides. There had been no cure and the cause was as much a mystery as the Shadow Plane.

“There are strange things in this universe and beyond, Lord Admiral, far stranger than we all know,” Sylvanas drawled, shrugging as she closed her eyes in apparent boredom. “I couldn’t stand watching you struggle to figure it out for much longer.”

“How did you leave the Shadow Plane? What’s there? No one has been able to find anything!” Jaina’s curious mind was getting the better of her.

Sylvanas’ lips twitched in amusement and she cracked one of her eyes open to survey the woman beside her. Finally, she sighed, putting her feet on the ground and turning to look at Jaina properly. Her red eyes lingered on her, dragging up and down her frame in a movement so slow that Jaina could not help but blush. The elf’s ears flickered as she tapped her own chin with a long and slender finger, before she leant forward and grabbed Jaina’s. The touch felt like ice upon her face, yet Jaina tried not to flinch again. She would not flinch in the presence of this woman, she had a feeling that was partially what Sylvanas wanted. To unnerve people as if to get the upper hand or perhaps even to prove a point.

“I can see why the boy likes you. Intelligent, powerful and beautiful. You would make a fine Queen for anyone, a pity you are wanted by a madman,” Sylvanas cooed, her tongue wetting her lips as she stared Jaina down. “What do you think of me, Lord Admiral?”

“Respectfully?” Jaina spoke, merely getting a hum of encouragement from Sylvanas. “You’re a pain in the ass. Arrogant and difficult and I haven’t even known you long.”

“And? You haven’t said you do not trust me.”

“Why would you lie?”

“I could be sent here by Arthas as a mole, trying to get close so I could do his dirty work for him. I could be a danger to you and everyone here,” Sylvanas spoke, those crimson eyes burning hotter and hotter, even as the air around them chilled. “I look like death and yet you believe me?”

“Vereesa trusts you and I don’t believe you have much cause to lie. Besides, if you  _ were _ lying to us, Liadrin would slaughter you in a second and Shandris would not hesitate to help her.”

Sylvanas laughed then, something that sounded just a little eerie from the woman’s lips. It felt genuine. It should have sounded genuine and yet that otherworldly tinge to her words made Jaina shiver. She let go of Jaina then, releasing her from the freezing hold and once more leaning back in her chair. She did not put her feet up this time though, her shoulders easing from the tension that seemed to permanently be in them. Gone was her irreverence, replaced by an odd stillness.

“I do not think those in Dalaran will believe the same,” Sylvanas uttered, more to herself than to Jaina.

As Sylvanas sat there, frowning in thought, Jaina not only saw but felt the energy that seemed to roil off of her in waves. It felt excruciatingly cold, a chill that seeped through into Jaina’s bones and refused to leave. Shadow seemed to encompass the area, almost as if Sylvanas’ very energy was extinguishing all lights from around them. It was as if whatever she was thinking was physically manifesting in the strange darkness that had taken over her.

Leaning forward, Jaina ignored the shadows and placed a hand on Sylvanas’ knee. She smiled earnestly, bringing the elf out of her own head and back to the present. She had often had to do the same for Vereesa and somehow that made her smile even more, knowing that perhaps Sylvanas wasn’t as alien as she appeared; glowing eyes or no.

“We’ll make them believe. You have my word,” Jaina spoke, her voice hard with determination. 

“And if that comes too late?” Sylvanas scoffed, eyeing Jaina’s hand curiously but making no attempt to remove it.

“Well then we shall find people who  _ do _ . If what you say is true and Arthas is returning, we cannot stand idly by. He will not succeed, not as long as I live.”

Jaina watched then as Sylvanas finally reached for her hand. It was a slow movement, hesitant as the elf placed her own hand over Jaina’s and squeezed just momentarily. A gentle sigh escaped the Banshee’s lips then, a soft sound that Jaina almost believed had been a figment of her imagination.

“You are a strange one, Proudmoore,” Sylvanas said finally, standing up from the table and moving to walk away. “I do hope you are right.”

As the woman retreated, Jaina resisted the urge to call out again. She had been given only a hint of the information Sylvanas had concealed and she wanted to know more. There was so much mystery and Jaina simply couldn’t stand it! At least they would soon be in Dalaran, where she was certain Sylvanas would have every piece of information squeezed out of her, whether it took days or hours. Maiev simply wouldn’t have the patience for the former Ranger-General’s games.

But would Jaina have the patience, she thought. She glanced down at the passage on the Shadow Plane, her fingers trailing along the words as if she could soak up more meaning through her fingertips. Her stomach felt as if it was twisting in knots. They could have dealt with Arthas if he was coming from the Twisting Nether or perhaps even the Void. But the Shadow Plane? She could only guess what horrors he was capable of and more shockingly she thought, Sylvanas probably knew most of them. Had probably experienced it all first hand.

The very thought of it sent a shudder down Jaina’s spine. 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think lovelies! 
> 
> Don't forget to find me over at LelianasSong or LesbianLiadrin on tumblr and @xLelianasSong on twitter if you ever wanna drop in and say hello! ^_^


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